Influence of the resonator geometry on the output power of a laser with several active elements

A description is given of a method for selecting the resonator geometry of a solid-state laser with several lenslike active elements in such a way as to maximize the output power. The relationship between this power and the optimization parameter is derived. An investigation is reported of a two-element cw YAG:Nd³⁺ laser. The experimental results are shown to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.